The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-11-07
PORTLAND FRATERNITY.
The Annual Public Meetlng-Address
by Hon. w. n. Clifford.

it is very pleasing and encouraging to meet
as many as we see here tonight.
| did not intend to make a speech
put In the absence. of the Esec-
rotary, will give some of the statistics of
the Fraternity. The society was organized
II years ago with an object of giving GER
tain class of boys and girls, taken from the
street, an education. The society has had
ZoOO members since its organization. 1t
seems almost impossible that so many boys
and girls OF Portland could obtain their edu-
cation only by attending evening schools.
The most OF the members are boys. 1900
boys have gone out from this institution and
letters OF good cheer and affection have been
received from them by those who once had
charge of them, from almost every state in
the union; Now to give you little idea of
the work l wish to say to you that it requires
a corps of between % and 80 instructors. The
work of these teachers is given gratuitously.
The teachers instruct the children in geog-
raphy, arithmetic, reading, spelling, etc,
they find places for them to work and assist
and care for them at all times. Through the
press appeal toyou to come and help us
and make yourself acquaintedwith our rooms
at Nos. and Free street. For II wears the
work has been going on and less than 300
citizens OF Portland contribute to sustain the
ment for the boys taken from the
street: we clothe and often
feed them: we watch over and :advise them.
We are able to show worthy young men to-
day, who were vagabonds three years ago.
Is this work worth nothing to our city or
our State? You have heard of, and seen,
our military organization. The boys have
| been training in this organization for a long
time. Ii the boys are in trouble they do not
go home; they. send us, and we aid them.
only short time ago, one of the boys was
injured, and he sent at once to us for aid.
we are training the boys. and they are
growing to be good citizens. You may draw
your. own conclusion whether or not it is
worthy institution and worthy of your sup
port"
Hon. William FL. Clifford was next intro d.
duced, and he delivered very able and elo-
quent address He said that it afforded him
great pleasure to comply with the invitation
of the Portland. Fraternity to say few
words in behalf of the charity which the so.
ciety provides.u He spoke of the interest in
charity which men and women could not
help feeling, and how some wrongly regard
ed it as small thing to .gather few chill
dren from the street for few hours each
evening to be instructed in moral way. He
said that the society in appealing to the city
for support, appealed to its citizens. He
spoke Of the equality and the rights of man
as the truth to be considered; the advisable
ty of beginning low lin teaching and REFORM
ing; the duties attached to freedom and
equality. All the history of mans life is
but a chronicle of misfortune and mistake.
In every chapter of life there is intermingled
some sorrow. What right have you or to
call upon these little wanderers to do right
and obey the laws of society if we do not
lend them helping hand, or guide them
rightlyP He spoke of the danger of neglect
to do our duty toward these children, and of
the good influence of the Fraternity over
them. The concluding portion of his ad-
dress we quote as follows:
OF all the spectacles presented by the amaz-
ing contrasts of human conditions in the
world there is none that touches so directly
the heart as that of young children uncared
for, neglected, exposed alike to the pangs of
bodily suffering and the influence of degrade
ton and vice. Such spectacle argues that
something is unhinged in the affairs Of the
world, and that society is negligent of its
duty. Now, Ii to these neglected lives and
hearts we could apply the influence of hui
manity and benevolence and lift them out of
the condition in which they live. we should
be exercising the strongest influences in all
the world for the permanence of government,
of order and of law. And here the pathway
of duty is open and plain. Men spend lives
OF assiduous study in the calculation of the
physical laws of nature amid which they
cesses with secrecy, and she so jealously
guards the approach to her hidden chambers,
that 1t is only after most devoted toll that
the iron gates are opened and the massive
portals upllfted. that man may gaze within
those mighty habitations where nature has
dwelt for ages unsought and alone. But in
the world of moral duty there are no such
occult mysteries; no such hidden paths. The
way of duty is plain.
While the mystery of evil may elude expla-
nation, the appliances by which pain and
| suffering can be alleviated, need no profound
study to render the hand that administers
the relief effective and sure. So, also, the
influences that arrest degradation, counter
act debasing tendencies, and turn the sink
ing soul of nature back to higher aims and
start it on its upward flight again-these holy
influences, say, can be eXerted by every
gentle soul and tnrob fresh and mighty in
every tender heart.
And the laws which enforce these duties
upon us we cannot in any degree disregard
They are the foundations of the world. As
in governments, the neglect of the principle
OF equallty awakes revolution, SO the denial
of the truth of mans heaven born and alb
solute right to alienation in distress breeds
hatred of the order of society that affords
no relief. Such neglect stimulates the fiery
forces that are smouldering in the caverns
of society, but which are capable of rending
the surface of the globe. OF these we should
not complain, nor over them grow so in
dignant if it be that every duty which our
moral relation imposes has not lbeen fully
peri ormed
Do we expect submission and content from
| those into the darkness of whose lives we
have not thrown a single ray of human
kindness? DO we expect the blessings of
order and peace built upon our neglect to
| bring peace into the lives of those whose
lives are but warfare, and to whom our
peace brings no healing in its wings. Under
| the forms of law we may send headlong out
| OF the world few wretched waits, crazed
| by ages OF oppression and blinded by the
| problem of tyranny, and call ourselves the
ministers of Gods justice on the earth. And
we are probably right, but let us beware in
the court OF our cOnScienceS if in so doing
we may not put ourselves in the position Of
prosecutors OF heresies which, five have not
nurtured, we have at least suffered to grow.
Besides, in this America of ours, we have
| opened our door to the world. But the great
| and good come not to our wedding feast. We
| draw guests from the by-ways and the lanes
OF the world, The lame and the blind are
our visitors. And if, after this sounding
| preface there are in the pharmacopoeia Of
American humanity, benevolence and law.
no cures for the testers of the society which
we have constructed, then are our golden
| promises ashes to the tongue and our vaunt-
| ed institutions mockery and lie.
Great In proportion to our blessings of
| freedom are our duties to humanity and
philanthropy. In every aspect America is
charged with the duty of enlightening and
cloFdbluS mduklHus not Dy cruel punish
ments, but by the removal of the causes
which stimulate frenzy, recklessness and de-
spair. These are to be secured only by the
exercise of a benevolent spirit. 1t is the
solicitude and regard for the hardships of
life that penetrates to the bitter fountains of
| human misfortune, and sweetens the waters
| of life. In order to do this we must begin
| where this little society begins, in the low
| down places Of the world. Benevolence is
| never so effective when flowing in an i'm
| nrpSSIVp volume n when diVidnd info mum
| berless rivulets, it flows through the dry
sands and valleys of life. These little riyu-
lets of benevolent purpose and action are
| the means through which the hard soil of
| poverty and misfortune is softened
| and irrigated These are the chan
| nels that convey the elements
| for making green and glad, and
| fertile with joy and gratitude many dark,
obscure and lonely place ON the uneven sur
face of human fate and fortune. These are
the influences that will change the wild cry
threat of disorder, into tones that shall har-